COTM38 - First Spoiler

[civ_steve]

COTM 38 First Spoiler

Reading Requirements

1. You must be able to research a Middle Age technology.

Posting Restrictions

• No discussions of the middle ages (or later)
• No screenshots of any middle-age (or later) resources.
• Please be discreet in providing information about any contacts you may make, especially with regard to locations.
• Absolutely NO discussion of any other currently active 'X'OTM!

So, how is Demigod level treating you? You're all alone on your continent, but it's not very large; some of the AI will quickly dwarf you in size so how are you making up the difference? Is your Netherlands ruling the seas, or are you biding your time for a later push?

 

[sirdanilot]

I'm new to GOTMs, so sorry if I post something here I shouldn't...

Anyway, I played Conquest class. I'm not sure what victory I'm going for. At this difficulty, I don't think spacerace is going to succeed, and I am definately not going for culture as it's very hard to beat the AI to any wonder. I guess it's going to be Domination then! Or Conquests, but I think that's pretty unlikely.

From the discussion in the Pregame thread, and also my own intuition, I had the feeling that the tiles S and SW were coastal, so I moved my worker there. And I was right! So I settled 1SW. The other settler went to the west to found my second city.

I simply continued building cities untill there wasn't any good city spot left on my island. I did not ICS. Firstly because I did not have a settler factory. In fact, I think it's so hard to set one up, I don't think I'll be able to before I've had more experience with these things. Secondly, I wasn't sure if it would really benefit my empire.

I discovered the fairly large island to the West pretty early, with my first Curragh. However, as I was a slow researcher and I didn't have the chance to buy Map Making, the Babylonians got there first and settled three cities there. The spanish settled one.

Then, I had an incredible stroke of luck. My brave curragh survived three (!) turns in unsafe waters, and reached another civilization. As the first post indicates, I'm not allowed to tell the direction or what Civ it was. But they didn't influence my game all that much really.

Despite having a Tech disadvantage, I managed to beat all the other AIs to Philosophy, and chose Literature as my free tech. I had not expected to get there first, and I also hadn't come up with choosing Lit for a free tech earlier, so I didn't have a prebuild. In the end, the stupid Spanish got the GLib first, with only one turn difference!

So I decided to build up some millitary and get the thing myself, and I succeeded! I only got two techs though. I also got the Pyramids this way. Woo, two cities got a free granary...

In peace negotiations, I managed to get two Spanish island cities, one on a three tile island of which I won't tell the direction, and one on the large island west of my continent. They didn't have much else to offer, except the two techs I would get with the library next turn anyway, and like 4 workers, but I didn't have a lot of interest in getting more workers as I did succeed in a two turn worker factory!
The spanish now have two cities, Toledo and their capitol Barcelona. I recently started another war with them, to finish them off. I'm currently going for Barcelona, as it's got the Mausoleum of Mausollos. I captured all their cities and I haven't razed or abandoned a single one, as I don't want to give the Babylonian too much space to expand.

This shot is from the turn I entered the Middle Ages:

Spoiler :

I wonder, is there a way to hide the unit action buttons, minimap and the bottom right screen? Not that it matters in this screenie, but maybe for future screenies...

 

[Kulko]

Well after several succesful SGOTM I thought I try how much my skill had improved. But i decided for the conquest save, to give me a fighting chance.

I build Amsterdam 1SW and Rotterdam 2W and started churning out settlers. Soon stopped again, after I saw the size of my island. I settled 7 Cities and started on the warriors.

Of course I soon met Iabella and Hammu. Hammu had writing before me, but had kep it from Isa (They were at war most of the time), so I traded it to her for most of her Knowledge. Then I went for republic slingshot.

Meanwhile my first Suicider almost made, but showing me a easy direction for trying. The second made it across and I started to collect all the Money the AIs had cashed from the barbs for my tech broker deals.

The slingshot bit and I went for MM because I desperately needed it for the western Isle and the attack on the Spanish.

I went on to min research Lit and upgraded all my Warriors to SM( about 8 I think). Spain was down to 2CC so over and "rescue" him from Babylon. Got Sevilla without major trouble.

Up until then I think I played quite well, but now desater struck. 1 turn before I conquered Madrid Sevilla reverted back. I marched back to sevilla but again on the turn before attack it converted back. I made sure and razed Sevilla this time, as my steller stood by anyway. Reinforce my stack with my second stack of SM and finally whiped out the spanish a few turns after 1000BC.

Meanwhile The babylonians had reached Republic but wouldn't give it to me. But somebody else ahad opted for Monarchy insteadt and since I wanted to conquer the world anyway I took it instead.

I also decided to punish the Babylonians for their greed and attacked them with the rest of Spanish army. By now I unfortunately went back to my usual sloppy plays, dividing my Army between the east and west coast and even started sonme war with a guy who tried to also settle my western island. With all this distractions the result was an expectable unsatisfying. I took 1 or 2 cities, but was forced to ask for peace soon. So I spend another 20 turns building up Catapults. Now again after HAmmu with a real stack of doom, leaving only some minor troops to deal with all his scouting Bowmen on the west coast. By now I own all the cities south of Babylon proper, including all the former spanish land and he has no troops left. I will reinforce some more and then whipe out the rest of him.

The original plan was going for a Conquest/Domination, but After seeing his land I actually staring to think about Palace Jumping to Babylon and trying for something like 100K. By now the AIs had researched all the AA techs and I was still living off my Slingshot advantage buying them for Literature and Philo.

Looks like I am well under way for at leats a victory in this one, although I thought that in my first GOTM at Deity too. 2000 Years later the AI's had build a good eneough techlead too stackpile on my way to thinly defended empire . But so far they have been rather harmless, so lets see what comes up.

 

[Daghdha]

Entering the MA's I've reduced Spain to 2 island cities and I'm about to attack the capitol of Babylon. Having iron on our starting tiny island was a treat. I went straight for maps to hit overseas before they had iron hooked up. Now it looks like they never will. I got 1 MGL who formed a horseman army that has pilled most of babs tiles. His GA is finished too so will prolly be a walk over soon. No flips yet but I'm planning on replacing all Hammu's cities beside the Cap (Pyramids + Colossus + Great Wall, I think). Then it's over to Gandhi and Cleo who are constantly fighting.
So far I'm content w/ my warmongering strat, but I did lose some workers and a settler due to sloppy play.

 

[Chamnix]

I wonder, is there a way to hide the unit action buttons, minimap and the bottom right screen? Not that it matters in this screenie, but maybe for future screenies...

Delete key.

 

[AskReeves15]

I have 8 cities on my starting island but am a little nervous i might have put one too many. I was able to take over the entirety of that western isle by heading for mapmaking first and having some settlers ready. I was able to get the GLib and am even with India and Babylon who are leaving Spain and Egypt behind. I have tried to land in Spain but the Spanish army is too large and wipes out all my landing forces, I think I will wait for Mercenaries before I push again but the war happiness from Spain declaring war on me in Monarchy is a nice little bonus.

 

[axehaxe]

Playing predator class...

First thing, was to assess what I have and don't have. Lack of pottery - no problem, lack of or risk of not having golden age - small problem.

Built warrior and explored north as my somewhat 'superstitious belief' that north is ALWAYS better than south. Find out that land ends short and I'm likely all alone on a small island - quite a problem.

Brought warrior back as I built another warrior for military police. Warrior finishes, start building settler - no settler factory - BIG problem!

Meanwhile - 10% research beeline for literature. Build a city ICS distance from capital just for the fresh water and 2 wheats. Build next city CxxC distance north, and name it "suicide curragh city". Meet spain with 6 cities, meet babylon also w/ 6 cities, lose curragh to barbs. Lose several more curraghs going east on suicide run for contacts following turns. Buy pottery from spain for something gold per turn and cash. Create settler factory and able to extend prebuild for GL from barracks - 40shiled to granry60. Buy masonry (when cheap enough) from babylon for something gold per turn and cash. Prebuild to palace.

Babylon suddenly declares war on spain. Lose LOTS of units, I end up having a strong military compared to BOTH. At this point I have 9 cities, some ICS distance, the rest are CxxC on my island. I complete GL in 650 BC - the city being size 12 with so many workers joined in. Meanwhile, I had been building TONS of curraghs in 'suicide curragh city' because I plan to upgrade them to galleys and crush Spain with my 35 or so swordsman and 12 catapults.

7gpt deal w/ spain ends, I sign a MA w/ Babylon on Spain for 7 gold (kinda cheap for a MA but all they have) and land directly on the coastal hills 2 squares from their capital. Take their capital first which contains 3 wonders which I don't like very much but still good to have like the lighthouse for example. Easily take the 4 remaining cities on that landmass and wonder where the other 4 cities are??? - Turns out each time I take their new capital, I see a blip on the map where the new capital is. Turns out they are on a 3 city island to the west, take those cities. Blip appears somewhere to the east (last city), raze that city for them being so annoying!!! Spain is done.

"Remove your forces or declare WAR" at Bablyon 3 or 4 times and they declare. Elite swordsman attacks one of their cities and generates a leader. Use leader to make a 14/14 swordsman army. During war, got another leader. Sailed him safely across. Take 3 more of their cities and sign peace. Ask for a city far far away. It is bordered by India and some purple civ. Whip out galley, meet India, disband the galley w/out meeting any other civs, and disband the city. Why? India is VERY powerful at this point w/ tech lead and like 7 wonders (future runaway AI). I haven't learned education yet and nobody has sailed across to meet me yet. When the next most powerful civ sails across and meets me first, I will have more techs than all the civs except India and that next powerful civ. I might even be able to skip the middle ages altogether (That's happened to me before in this very same kind of situation).

20 turn peace w/ babylon ends, have 2 armies, declare on them and take 2 cities, when I attempted to take the 3rd city something terrible happened !!!! Veteran bowman takes out my 14/14 army w/out losing A SINGLE HP!!!!

Bring like 15 swordsman, 10 catapults, 5 or 6 swiss mercs, up to that city, and razed it!!!

A city I took flips, that gets razed.

Babylon down to 2 cities now, attack their size 10 city and lose all my units in that attack squad !! Also the other city I took at the begining of the war flips!!! Unsuccessful in taking it back. I am running thin on troops now so I sign peace (I Have LOTS of WW) asking for 17gpt, 3 workers, and the flipped city back.

More coming soon...screenies will be available...

 

[ignas]

Settled in place, built settler, warrior, settler, settler, granary (for two turn workers). Settled 7 towns on my island, after realizing i'm on a small island started producing military and curraghs. Did much of sailing and by 1000BC had all contacts.
Seeing that due to lack of contacts AI's were backwards decided to go for rep slingshot which was achieved in 1250BC, then stopped research for a long time.
In around 1000BC upgraded 15 warriors to swords and started taking Spanish cities (made MA vs. Spain with Babylon). With few false peace treaties Spain was no more in 610BC. Then declared war on Babylon and by 330BC Babylon was left with one city (left them because of their free MA tech).
In 550BC perform palace jump, capital jumps to Babylon and start putting cities around (few hundred years later it becomes very powerful core with few markets producing 400gpt at 0% science).
After seeing AI researches very slowly started my own research. Research Literature in 5 turns, Currency in 6 and enter MA in 330 BC heading for Chivalry (i figured out knights will be enough to conquer world in this COTM)

 

[Più Freddo]

Predator, going for Conquest


In the Beginning

Our master plan for the Predator Class was to

• Move the Settler to the coast
• Use the few available commercial tiles
• Skip Pottery and the Granary
• Settle the coastline for commerce
• Capture any Wonders

There was no need to cram inland cities around the little lake for the
extra food. What we needed was gold and the Republic Sling-Shot. (It
is not really a Sling-Shot if you don't get a Government
Technology. Then it's just the Philosophy Free Technology.)

Excel and CivAssist II told us that by founding a high-commerce second
city, Writing (365 beakers) should be researchable within 40
turns. The Settler went SW and founded Amsterdam, the Worker went NW
and chopped the Fur Forest. Amsterdam built Curragh, Warrior,
Settler. Growth in the capital was at first slow, the rate being 7, 5,
4, 4, 4 and then 3 turns per Citizen. The Settlers were always trained
at the growth to 5 Citizens and after the second one kept coming
steadily every 6 turns.


Rapid Expansion

The second city went by the Fish and on growth worked Coast rather
than Forest. The third city went among the plentiful Bonus Grassland
in the north. The fourth city went on the eastern peninsula, by its
mere presence protecting us against Barbarian settlements on that
side. We trained only a minimum number of Warriors, 7 being the
high-tide mark.

3950 BC Found Amsterdam
2900 BC Found Rotterdam
2470 BC Found The Hague
2150 BC Found Utrecht
1950 BC Found Groningen
1700 BC Found Eindhoven
1550 BC Found Arnhem
1450 BC Found Maastricht
1250 BC Found Haarlem
_825 BC Found Holwerd​

Our brave Curragh1 went east around our island and then soon met Spain
and Babylon. By the time we met Egypt and India, we had discovered
Writing but could not afford Embassies. So we stayed at peace with
them for the moment.

4000 BC Discover Alphabet
3600 BC Connect Furs
3350 BC Meet Spain
3150 BC Meet Babylon
3150 BC Learn Bronze Working
2150 BC Meet Egypt
2150 BC Discover Writing
2070 BC Meet India​

In 1830 BC, Babylon established itself as the AI powerhouse as it
single-handedly discovered Writing. We immediately sold Writing to
Spain for The Wheel. Now it seemed to be a bad idea to bring Babylon
into war, since its Bowmen would then trigger the Golden Age, which
would endanger our Republic Sling-Shot.

Contacts with other lesser tribes brought us lesser Technologies and
cash and we could afford Embassies and start the first war against
Egypt with India tied with a Peace Treaty into Alliance. More cash and
Embassies came with the discovery of Code of Laws. It was then clear
that Babylon would build The Pyramids.

1750 BC Meet England
1750 BC Learn Pottery
1750 BC Learn Masonry
1625 BC War Egypt
1625 BC Learn Warrior Code
1625 BC Learn Iron Working
1625 BC Learn Ceremonial Burial
1625 BC Embassy India
1625 BC Embassy Egypt
1625 BC Alliance India vs. Egypt
1625 BC Meet Maya
1575 BC Meet China
1550 BC Connect Horses
1525 BC Discover Code of Laws
1525 BC Learn Mysticism
1525 BC Learn Mathematics
1525 BC Embassy Spain
1525 BC Embassy Maya
1525 BC Embassy England
1525 BC Embassy China
1525 BC Embassy Babylon​

Plans for Babylonia

Our hopes that Babylon after the discovery of Writing would research
Map Making for us were fulfilled in 1375 BC. We declared Spain war and
allied Babylon against it, tied to a Peace Treaty. The Babylonian
Golden Age would help it research Construction for us. The
Spanish-Babylonian island with its Wonders, size and Luxuries would
become a second homeland for us. Babylon's last service to us would be
to trade us its bonus Technology for The Republic and Literature.

1375 BC War Spain
1375 BC Alliance Babylon vs. Spain
1375 BC Learn Map Making
1375 BC Learn Horseback Riding
1325 BC Discover Philosophy
1325 BC Discover The Republic
1325 BC Establish Anarchy
1225 BC Establish Republic
1225 BC Learn Polytheism
1200 BC Babylon builds The Pyramids​

Ancient Finale

Once under Republic, we disbanded our Warriors and started building
Harbors, Barracks, Horsemen and Libraries. Our first attempt at War
Happiness failed as India and Egypt fought it through their 20 turns,
but we immediately inverted the Alliance and tried again. That Spain
would build The Great Lighthouse on our own front porch seemed too good
to be true, but we were not yet ready to invade. Babylon got tired of
warring and broke our alliance just prior to the discovery of
Construction. War Happiness set in and we could luckily buy
Construction from the Egyptians. As we then met Portugal, we could
start yet another war-alliance pair of treaties. Finally, as we
entered the Middle Ages in 825 BC, Egypt also made us the favour of
declaring war, bringing more War Happiness to our lands.

1125 BC War India
1125 BC Peace Egypt
1125 BC Alliance Egypt vs. India
1125 BC Spain builds The Great Lighthouse
1050 BC Discover Literature
1000 BC War Babylon
_950 BC Learn Construction
_925 BC Meet Portugal
_925 BC Embassy Portugal
_925 BC War China
_925 BC Alliance Portugal vs. China
_825 BC War Egypt
_825 BC Discover Currency
_825 BC Enter Middle Ages​

We have turned off research pending peace with Babylon and the result
of their entering the Middle Ages. We will cash-rush an army of
Horsemen and invade Spain and then bring the war on to Babylon and
re-establish our capital on this island. Research will be resumed
towards Navigation over Chivalry.


Quick Start Challenge Result

• 9 Towns
• 32 Citizens
• 1 Barracks
• 2 Libraries
• 3 Harbors
• 7 Contacts
• 7 Workers
• 3 Galleys
• 1 Horseman
• Furs
• Horses
• All Ancient Technologies except Monarchy, Currency and Construction

 

[Schalke 04]

First af all: sorry for my bad english. I will give my best
Well, it was my first try on a gotm, an archipelago map and demigod. So I picked up the conquest save to start. The extra settler and the wines would serve me very well.

My aim was to achieve early expansion with an acceptable army and spend all my efforts to get the great lighthouse. I built my nearest cities in an ics-range, to build military units. The advantage is, that I can disband the ics-cities later in the game as my prime cities are growing. Both paid of. With the GL I was able to get know of every civilization there were on this map. Incredible what great value some curraghs may have on an archipelago map, especially if you have the GL… .This contact-advantage gave me a tech-leadership in the early middle-ages. Unfortunately i made some silly trade-faults, and so I made one civilization grow stronger than dedicated for it. In the MA then, i lost my leadership to the strong Indians.

My early expansion did right well, and I could get control of the Spanish site of the island in the early MA. At this time i was in a monarchy and my goal was to get into communism asap, due to the unit support and the benefits of further expansion (I’ve never choosed communism before, but I assume, that this is the best choice I can make in this game). My victory-goal was now dedicated to be a domination one. At this time I want to mention, that the culture flipping at demi-god is very annoying. Due to my military-goal my civilization was not very strong in culture, and I had to handle a lot of deposed cities while I was fighting the rest of the Babylonian empire. At least I could trigger a golden age under monarchy while I was fighting the babylonians with my swiss mercenary.

After the conquest of the babylonian/ spanish continent I fell into a deep hole, cause I didn’t know how to go on. The Indians have been my primary goal, but they were far away too strong right now. They got the Statue of Zeus and as the tech leader they were not far away from the Knights templar. It would be a slaughter to my wounded military forces to go for the indian/ egyptian island. So I had to think about my further targets. This took me a very long time. After considering this, i decided to go for another island, which i don’t want to name, because it could be a spoiler. The mentioning of the Spanish/Babylonians/Indians/Egyptians could be a spoiler too, but I assume, that the most (if not all) players have already made contact to them.

As a short resumption/feedback i want to say, that demi-god is a really tough game to play, but the archipelago-map may serve to the human player, as he can benefit from the lower tech-development and the reduced expansion-possibilities of the AIs.


PICTURES:

homeland:

[/URL][/IMG]

spanish island:



island left:

 

[silversheep]

My first GoTM, and it's going pretty well
I settled in place and reseaeched bronze working. Later I realized I was on an island (!) so I went for map making. I put 7 cities on my island and put 2 on the island to the west (Spanish got 3 there). I got a free tech with Philosophy, Literature to build the Great Library successfully. I did exploring to meet most civs, and traded the techs I obtained. Something funny happened though: when GLib. got me into the middle ages, I lost ALL my current research on The Republic!
I want to try for a UN victory but I'm thinking about whether to just stay peaceful or try to take over some Spanish land...

 

[Honda[SU]]

Open, Domination

3900 – Amsterdam-city1
3100 - Furs
2710 - Rotterdam-city2
2550 - Spain
2470 – The Hague-city3
2390 – Ceremonial Burial (AI), Babylon
2190 - Utrecht-city4
2030 - Groningen-city5
1990 – Egypt, Maya
1950 – Bronze Working (AI), Masonry (AI), The Wheel (AI), Warrior Code (AI), Iron Working (AI), Mysticism (AI), India
1910 – Writing
1725 – China
1700 – England
1625 - Portugal
1600 - Eindhoven-city6, Horses
1550 - France
1425 - Mathematics (AI), Map Making (AI), Polytheism (AI)
1375 – Code of Laws
1350 - Aztecs
1225 – Horseback Riding (AI)
1200 – Spices (Babylon)
1150 – Philosophy, the Republic, 2 turns of anarhy and stop the science
1125 – War with Spain: capture Madrid (the Pyramids), Toledo, Santiago
1100 - Arnhem-city7 (lambda continent)
1050 – Heroic Epic (Toledo)
1025 – Capture Seville
1000 – Maastricht-city8 (lambda continent), Currency (Barbarian), Peace with Spain
0975 - Iron
0950 – Forbidden Palace (Seville), War with Babylon: capture Uruk, Akkad, Ashur
0900 – Construction (AI) and Entered in the Middle Edge

900BC:
Score – 449
Culture – 492 (20 per turn)
Land – 209
Gold - 194
Cities – 15
Citizens – 49
Units – 1 Army, 18 Horsemans, 6 Galleys, 2 Currags, 1 Setler, 16 Workers, 21 Slaves
Buildings – 4 Barracks, 1 Granary, 6 Temples, 4 Harbors, 2 Babylon’s Harbors
Resources – Horses (1), Iron (1), Furs (1), Babylon’s Spices (2)